1. Hayden Paddon & HyundaiThe Kiwi drove an aggressive and mistake-free rally, netting Hyundai's second consecutive podium while wiping the floor with his teammates, occasionally even challenging Ogiér himself. Half a minute behind the VW is more than a respectable result, and I'm amazed if Paddon isn't in Toyota's radar by now.

2. Mads ØstbergHe started off the season with an excellent 4th place, and now he dragged that Ford into the podium, keeping the difference to the winner in under one minute. This kind of steady progression is more than M-Sport could have hoped for.

3. DMACK's Increased Performance & Ott TänakTänak has made a solid start to the season, suffering from the performance of his tyres in Monte Carlo. In Sweden, DMACK was somehow able to take a leap in performance while Ott Tänak did a perfect job in the wheel of the Fiesta, being even able to bother Østberg for a while. Hopefully DMACK can keep this up!

4. Teemu Suninen vs. Pontus TidemandSuninen drove a perfect rally and closed the gap to Tidemand in the power stage, beating the Swede in the final results by an incredibly tight difference of 0,1 seconds, bringing home one well-deserved championship point. In addition, he lost to Elfyn "Ogiér of WRC-2" Evans only by 14,6 seconds.

5. The OrganizersWeather was troublesome throughout the event and Värmland (warm land) lived up to its name. However, thanks to the hard work done by the organizers of the event, we were able to have another exciting (if somewhat stunted) Rally Sweden.

Flops:

1. Eric CamilliMalcolm Wilson did a bold move giving him the M-Sport seat. All that he has got in return are two crashes and hardly any pace whatsoever. Unless the Frenchman improves quickly, we can expect to see Elfyn Evans back in the WRC Fiesta.

2. Meeke's LuckLast season Meeke showed excellent pace coupled with many driving errors that led into retirements. This season he has been fast and consistent. In Monte Carlo, his fine rally was ruined by a stone hiding under the snow; in Sweden, the same thing. Let's hope he can get in some results that he deserves before this run of bad luck starts eating away his self-confidence.

3. Latvala's Championship HopesIt doesn't seem like the technical troubles he experienced in Sweden were his own fault, but what is true is that his chances of winning the title have effectively evaporated. There is simply no way that he's going to catch Ogiér after this unless the champion has an incredible run of misfortunes. And, let's face it, he won't.

4. WeatherGlobal warming is turning the winters in Northern Europe very strange, as seen here. When a rally event nearly has to be cancelled because the weather is too warm, it hurts the image of the sport very badly. It is about time that the WRC starts bringing in more eco-friendly technology.

5. Eurolamp WRTNot really a flop because I don't think anyone expected anything from two average national-level drivers with two old WRC Minis, some extra cash and a silly team name. I merely wonder what was the point of it all.

It's also interesting to see Prokop on the lists; I presumed he skipped the previous rounds because of budget contraints, but if he's got the funding to go to Mexico, then that can't be the reason. In any case, I'm happy he's back - I rather like his one-car team.

It's noteworthy that Teemu Suninen is on the lists. He beat the factory Skodas in the last rally and scored a championship point; it doesn't seem like he will face a tough challenge from anyone but Al-Attiyah, so as long as he keeps it on the road, he's got a good chance for some more points. Remember that he's one of the young talents on Toyota's radar.

I am sorry to learn that Sordo lost his podium place, but it was a very good weekend from him, nonetheless. He's the best placed Hyundai driver in the championship right now, manning a respectable fourth place in the standings. But what about Mads Östberg! It was his second consecutive 3rd place; add his 4th place in Monte Carlo to the tally and that puts him in an incredible second place in the championship. That's much more than M-Sport could have wished for at this part of the season - just a shame that Camilli isn't performing at all.

J-M Latvala certainly deserves a result after a disastrous start to his 2016 campaign, but I strongly doubt he can challenge for title. It would require a perfect run from him in the remaining rallies, and some bad luck from Ogiér - preferably in the tarmac rallies, where he is normally unbeatable. In any case, it's a welcome change that somebody can beat the champ in a straight fight - and in such an emphatic way, too.

Latvala's winning margin pales in comparison with Teemu Suninen's in WRC-2, though; the Skoda driver beat Hubert Ptaszek by a whopping 20.11,6, which could potentially be a new record. Granted, it wasn't much of a challenge, but this was his first rally where he was driving for WRC-2 points. I am really looking forward to it when Elfyn Evans joins the fray again; we could be looking at an epic battle for the WRC-2 championship between these two.

So, the WRC circus has entered Argentina. The battle at the front has been fairly entertaining, making up for the lack of competitors which seems typical for overseas rallies. Citroën is absent once again, although there are two local names driving the DS3's, one of them actually in the points.

Latvala is looking forward to his second win in the row, and he is in a good position to do so. However, Ogiér and Paddon are not far away yet.